Sweet Nothing
by Ninazadzia
Summary: "Clove, do you like him or not?" "No!" "Well, that's a shame." "Why?" "Because he's been in love with you for over a year. What, couldn't you tell?" Marvel, Glimmer, Cato and Clove can't stop giving each other sweet nothings. A series of drabbles, Career centric. AU, high school setting. T for sex
1. Chapter One: Marvel

**A/N: **Here's my next Florence inspired fic; it's a multi-chap, but all of the chapters will be drabble-esque and probably under 500 words. There's a lot of AU here—the Careers are 21st century high schoolers. Cato's the star line-backer, Glimmer's a hypersexual cheerleader, Clove is an overachieving track-star, and Marvel's academically inclined. Enjoy xx

~Nina

_Sweet Nothing_

by WildPomegranate

_So I put my faith in something unknown_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_But I'm tired of hope with nothing to hold_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_And it's hard to learn_

_And it's hard to love_

_When you're giving me such sweet nothing_

_Sweet nothing, sweet nothing_

_You're giving me such sweet nothing_

-**Sweet Nothing **by Calvin Harris, feat. Florence Welch

Glimmer Rambin is a lot of things. She's devious. She's beautiful, but in a wicked way. She's manipulative. Conniving. Charming, which works in her favor when she's feeling particularly mean. She's cunning. And above all, she's selfish.

I'm completely in love with her.

So as I'm watching her raid through my parents' liquor cabinet, I don't do anything more than roll my eyes. I don't tell her, "No, you can't," or, "Glimmer, you really shouldn't." I stare instead. My eyes are fixed on the small of her back, the color of her hair, the defined muscles of her legs. And all the while she's complaining about something stupid.

"And she thinks she can walk all over me! Honestly, the squad would be nothing without me, and she knows that."

Ahh. So she was ranting about Candice, the usual suspect. "That's just her seniority talking," I told her.

"I know, right?" She turned around, holding a bottle of Smirnoff in her hand. Her face was flushed from frustration. I felt my heart race.

She poured a glass (straight-up) for herself, and gave one to me. "Candice is such a bitch. She's not even that pretty."

_Yeah, she's only been modeling for Ford since she was, like, eleven._ "You're right," I reply.

"Like, honestly, I should be captain."

"You're right."

She smiled. "Really?"

Yep. There she went-fishing for compliments as usual, even though she didn't need them. She already had an ego big enough for two people.

Of course, I was the guy enchanted enough to give them to her. "Really," I told her. "You're a junior, you'll definitely be captain next year." I didn't say anything. She didn't either, and I knew she wanted to hear more, so I kept talking. "I mean, you're definitely hotter than Candice, and you're a better cheerleader."

"Aww, really Marvel?"

_Don't do it Marvel. It's not worth it. Resist_.

"Uh-huh," I said hoarsely.

She smiled. She toasted her glass, taking a nice, long drink from it.

"I'm glad we're friends, Quaid," she said, giving me a dazzling smile.

I knew how things worked with her. I just had to keep buttering her up. I returned her smile, and after a while, poured her another glass. She downed it, probably semi-concious of the fact that every drink was a drink closer to us hooking up.

But I wasn't just her plaything. We talked regularly. 'Regularly' meaning outside of _this_, whatever it was.

"Do you like being friends with me?" she asked playfully.

"Of course I do."

She giggled. She leaned in, and I caught a whiff of her perfume. "Prove it."

I started kissing her. It would never escalate to anything more than that-drunken kisses, shared only when she was feeling down about something else. I made her feel better. I was her friend.

I totally would've done more with her. But I never could. Because even though this was Glimmer, in all of her evil and impurity, she was more than a cheerleader to me. I was in love with her.

But the real reason I never fucked Glimmer was because my best friend was beating me to it. Cato would absolutely kill me.

XXX

**A/N: **I'm doing an update a day for this multi. Check back tomorrow; we get Cato's perspective.

Review please xx

~Nina


	2. Chapter Two: Cato

_So I put my faith in something unknown_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_But I'm tired of hope with nothing to hold_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_And it's hard to learn_

_And it's hard to love_

_When you're giving me such sweet nothing_

_Sweet nothing, sweet nothing_

_You're giving me such sweet nothing_

-**Sweet Nothing **by Calvin Harris, feat. Florence Welch

~Cato~

"Ludwig!" Coach Sanderson rapped me over the head. "Get your head out of the goddamn gutter! We have drills to do."

"Sorry, Coach." I kept my eyes trained where they were, and that was right on Glimmer Rambin. All the guys would think I was checking her out. I could hear their jeers, because they all knew what was going on between the two of us.

She caught my gaze. She giggled, and turned to her friends on the cheerleading squad.

"Hey sexy!" I called out.

They all laughed, except for Candice, who gave me the dirtiest glare she could. I looked to my left. Clove Fuhrman was sprinting down the track, neck and neck with the other top girl, and probably in the middle of a blistering workout. I caught her eye and gave her a wink.

At the sight of me, she took off at blazing speed and left the girl she'd been running next to in the dust. Oh, my little jabs at the cheerleading squad had _exactly _the effect I'd wanted them to.

She stopped her watch, breathing heavily and gulping from her water bottle. I walked over to her, putting on my best smirk.

"Those are some legs you've got there, Fuhrman."

She was panting, and _hard. _"Fuck off," she managed.

"Just trying to be friendly."

"Do it somewhere else."

"What, like to the cheerleading squad?" I taunted.

She looked up. Her face was flushed red. I wish it was because of me.

"_Please," _she drawled out. "That way you can leave me alone. I only have two minutes rest and I don't want to waste my breath talking to you."

_It's so obvious you want me. _That's what I felt like telling her. That's what I _wanted _to tell her, because it was what I wanted to believe.

But there was something about the look on her face and the way she carried herself around me that told me this was something more one-sided than love-hate.

That's why I liked her.

XXX

**A/N: Check back tomorrow for the blonde vixen's insight.**

**Reviews are like candy xx**

**Nina**


	3. Chapter Three: Glimmer

_So I put my faith in something unknown_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_But I'm tired of hope with nothing to hold_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_And it's hard to learn_

_And it's hard to love_

_When you're giving me such sweet nothing_

_Sweet nothing, sweet nothing_

_You're giving me such sweet nothing_

-**Sweet Nothing **by Calvin Harris, feat. Florence Welch

~Glimmer~

"What, no overnighter?"

I was expecting the look he gave me. It was the Cato Ludwig standard, the, _are you serious right now?_

"Um, no," he said flatly. He threw his jeans back on. "I have practice tomorrow."

"Can't you skip it?"

He snickered. "Good one, Glimmer."

I pouted. I sat up, running a hand through my hair in a way that I knew would make anyone melt. He was busy redressing himself, so when he finally looked up and saw my expression, the hand in my hair, the fact that I was still naked, he smirked.

"Stop trying to be cute," he said. He leaned in and pecked me on the lips.

"You're being mean."

"Well, sorry."

As he backed out of my room, I called after him, "What, are you running off to see Candice now?"

He threw a glance at me over his shoulder. He didn't think twice before saying, "We both know I could do better than some slutty cheerleader."

He shut the door. I was left to lie in my bed, alone, with a wounded ego. _I could do better than some slutty cheerleader_.

"Fuck you, Ludwig," I muttered. I hated him for saying that.

I hated him because I loved him.

XXX

**A/N: Ten reviews in two days. Geezus. You guys are phenomenal.**

**Teaser time—we see more of Cato tomorrow.**

**xx Nina**


	4. Chapter Four: Cato

_So I put my faith in something unknown_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_But I'm tired of hope with nothing to hold_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_And it's hard to learn_

_And it's hard to love_

_When you're giving me such sweet nothing_

_Sweet nothing, sweet nothing_

_You're giving me such sweet nothing_

-**Sweet Nothing **by Calvin Harris, feat. Florence Welch

~Cato~

"Take it easy-I can't go to precalc with hickies."

I ignored her. I ignored the fact that we were in a bathroom stall, when she should've been in class, fiercely kissing one another in a way that only a blowout fight could make us. And the tone in her voice and the frustration she had with me-

"Cato, I said stop."

Oh, this was perfect. I wasn't kissing a barbie doll. She didn't have bottle blonde hair or a fake tan. She was the raven haired beauty I wanted her to be, and instead of padded curves and skintight clothing, she had the lean, strong muscles that could only come from being a state-ranked track star.

"Damnit, Cato!"

She slapped me. She actually slapped me. I opened my eyes, pissed.

No amount of fantasizing in the world could make Glimmer become Clove.

XXX

**A/N: Short, I know. Tomorrow's a shorter one too. But things pick up **_**verrrry **_**soon, I promise.**

**Make my day and leave a review :D**

**xx Nina**


	5. Chapter Five: Clove

_So I put my faith in something unknown_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_But I'm tired of hope with nothing to hold_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_And it's hard to learn_

_And it's hard to love_

_When you're giving me such sweet nothing_

_Sweet nothing, sweet nothing_

_You're giving me such sweet nothing_

-**Sweet Nothing **by Calvin Harris, feat. Florence Welch

~Clove~

"Two for Marvel Quaid-" Jason handed Marvel his candygrams, and laughed when he saw me, "And one for Clove Fuhrman."

I grimaced. Marvel got a kick out of it.

"Thank you, Jason, you can leave now," my chemistry teacher Mrs. DeVey said, with a drone in her voice. Jason left, and she made a point of saying, "Don't even think about eating those candygrams until you're done with your experiments. Just because it's Halloween doesn't mean I'm going soft on you."

"You couldn't do 'soft' if you tried," I muttered under my breath. That got a chortle out of my lab partner. Marvel handed me the beaker, taking measurements as we did our experiment.

"Who's your candygram from?" he asked.

"Don't know, don't care."

He ignored my bitterness. "Well, I got one from Glimmer," he said, with a tone in his voice that I could place perfectly.

I turned to him. "Congratu-fucking-lations." I scribbled down the measurement. "If you're so into her, why don't you just man up and do something about it?"

"Oh, you know why," he replied. I rolled my eyes. Whether I liked it or not, Quaid was my neighbor, and it was that along with our appetite for academic greatness that made us friends, or at least the closest thing to it.

So I wasn't surprised when he picked up my candygram to see who it was from. "Cato Ludwig," he read.

"Huh. Isn't that interesting," I said through grit teeth. I almost broke the beaker I was holding.

I know Marvel was trying to get a good look at me, so I refused to face him. My skin was so pale, and it would be all too easy for him to tell that I was blushing.

XXX

**A/N: Thank you all so much for the continued support. Tomorrow's vignette is long(ish) and scandalous ;D**

**xx Nina**


	6. Chapter Six: Glimmer

_So I put my faith in something unknown_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_But I'm tired of hope with nothing to hold_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_And it's hard to learn_

_And it's hard to love_

_When you're giving me such sweet nothing_

_Sweet nothing, sweet nothing_

_You're giving me such sweet nothing_

-**Sweet Nothing **by Calvin Harris, feat. Florence Welch

~Glimmer~

"Babe, I'm sorry."

"Save it for someone who cares, asshole!"

_How did I get myself into this mess? _That's what I was thinking as I ran from the smoky, ear-shatteringly loud room. That's the one thought that I could register in my drunken state of mind, because I saw the evidence and I wasn't questioning it.

Cato. Kissing Clove. The two of them hooking up in the corner, and more or less just about ready to fuck each another against a wall.

Oh, I'd seen it coming. So as I sat there in the street curb, all I could think was, _how could I let this happen to me?_

"Hey," he said. He grabbed shoulder as I heaved in the street, half-gagging and half-sobbing. "Hey, listen to me-"

"Fuck off!" I yelled. "Go back to your ho-bag, it's not like I care!"

_Hahh. Lies._

He sat down next to me. He titled my head towards his.

"We both know that's not true," he said, forcing his voice to sound gentle.

I felt ridiculous. I was sitting on a street curb, drunk off my ass and wearing a sexy cat costume, and I was crying about my boyfriend-

-oh, wait. I was never his girlfriend.

I had to keep reminding myself that I was so much less than that to him.

"Well, then at least act like _you_ care!" I blubbered, only ever this unfiltered when drunk. "I'm so into you, and you treat me like shit! Why?" Then came the real tears. "Why do I put up with that? I'm Glimmer _fucking _Rambin, I could get any guy I want so why am I wasting my time with a jerk like you?!"

I didn't know who I was screaming at anymore.

"Hey, shh, hey . . ."

He patted my shoulder. I let him put his arm around me. I cried into his chest, and the irony of it all was working its way slowly into my head as I heard him whisper into my ear.

"You're with me because I think you're beautiful." More crying. "I think you're the most beautiful girl in school, and when I'm with you everything feels perfect." I kept crying. Why was I still crying? "And you're with me because you know that no matter how many times I'll mess up, I'm always sorry."

More words. He kept whispering more empty words into my ears.

I let myself believe them. And at the same time, I didn't.

XXX

**A/N: My oh my. We've got ourselves a manwhore. **

**Tomorrow we'll see how Clove feels about all this :D**

**xx Nina**


	7. Chapter Seven: Clove

_So I put my faith in something unknown_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_But I'm tired of hope with nothing to hold_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_And it's hard to learn_

_And it's hard to love_

_When you're giving me such sweet nothing_

_Sweet nothing, sweet nothing_

_You're giving me such sweet nothing_

-**Sweet Nothing **by Calvin Harris, feat. Florence Welch

~Clove~

_Clove. What the hell did you just do._

_ Clove. Get yourself together._

_ Clove._

_ CLOVE._

"Clove!"

I tilted my head, squinting at the light. I sat up, on a living room couch vaguely familiar to me.

"What…?" I asked, groggy. Marvel let out a sigh of relief.

"Good, you're okay," he said. He walked over to the kitchen, and started fixing me up a cup of tea. It was still black as night outside. I looked at the watch that I never took off, strictly out of habit as a runner.

4:32 in the morning, and I was in Marvel Quaid's living room. Perfect.

"What in the . . .?"

And it all came back to me. The County race and my shitty time. The Halloween party at Cato's, the one he'd wanted me to go to, the one I kept turning down because I was "too serious a runner." All the booze I drank, trying to nurse a wounded ego.

And then came the kissing.

"Oh, God, please don't tell me I—"

"Sucked on Cato's face for a solid half hour?" Marvel smirked at me. My expression must've been priceless, because the next thing he said was, "Good, so it wasn't all a blur."

"No. No no no. I totally didn't."

I leaned back into the couch, touching my lips, remembering flashes of what'd happened. _Where _had the desire been? _When _had I decided, "okay, I want to make out with Cato"? I kept racking my brain, looking for an answer.

I remembered saying all kinds of things to him. Things I didn't mean. Things like,

"Man, you're a jerk. Does that mean I'm secretly attracted to you?"

And then,

"You know, Cato, if you started kissing me, I wouldn't stop you."

Oh shit.

Marvel was still talking, "Thank you for that, by the way. Now Glimmer might realize what a jerk he's been to her—"

"It shouldn't have happened!" I practically shrieked. "I don't like him like that!"

"Well, then why'd you say you did?"

"I never—" Oh, wait. Drunk Clove had said that too. "Well, I didn't mean it—"

"Clove, do you like him or not?" he sighed, impatient.

"No!" I groaned. He looked at me, and the look on my face was enough. He knew I was telling the truth.

"Well," he said, flatly, "that's a shame."

I snapped up. "Why?"

"Because he's been in love with you for over a year." He noticed my stunned reaction. "What, couldn't you tell?"

XXX

**A/N: Sorry I was a day late with this one, yesterday was crazy. We'll see some more of Marvel tomorrow.**

**Thank you so much to everyone that's faved and reviewed :D**

**xx Nina**


	8. Chapter Eight: Marvel

_So I put my faith in something unknown_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_But I'm tired of hope with nothing to hold_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_And it's hard to learn_

_And it's hard to love_

_When you're giving me such sweet nothing_

_Sweet nothing, sweet nothing_

_You're giving me such sweet nothing_

-**Sweet Nothing **by Calvin Harris, feat. Florence Welch

~Marvel~

Even after that night, she kept running back to him. It made me sick.

Halloween passed, and the weeks went by. Glimmer went from mad to upset in that space of time. I saw less of her. She stopped raiding my liquor cabinet and letting me stroke her ego. I wasn't sure how much was left of it.

I confronted her one day. "Listen, Glimmer." I didn't bother sounding nice. "You and Cato have to stop what you're doing."

"Says who?"

"Says me." She tried walking away. I grabbed her wrist. "I'm just looking out for you, and what you're doing . . . it's destructive."

"Let go of me, Quaid."

"He cheated on you—"

"And he said he was sorry!" she exclaimed. Her face was flushed. I'd never seen her look so uneasy in her life. "He messed up, we all make mistakes."

Part of me wanted to be surprised, because this wasn't how Glimmer usually was. She didn't take crap from anyone, especially not guys. So her putting up with Cato only meant one thing.

"Are you hearing yourself right now?" I asked. "You sound ridiculous."

"I'm not being ridiculous, Marvel-"

"He fucked up!" I shouted. "He hurt you, never really apologized for it, and he's probably going to do it again! Clove is just the start of it, Glimmer, if you're okay with him hooking up with her then that just means you're okay with him hooking up with anyone else—"

"At least I won't lose him!" she snapped. She slapped my hand away. "Damnit, Quaid, I'm love with him!"

That was probably something she said before realizing what was coming out of her mouth. She looked at me, noticed my expression, and then put her hand over her mouth.

Glimmer Rambin was a lot of things. But she wasn't heartless. And what she'd just said was.

"Wait, Marvel—"

"Forget it."

I stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind me.

XXX

**A/N: Oof. Poor guy.**

**You guys are seriously the best, the reception I've gotten for this fic has been incredible. Let me know which pairings you guys would like to see me write in the future.**

**xx Nina**


	9. Chapter Nine: Clove

_So I put my faith in something unknown_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_But I'm tired of hope with nothing to hold_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_And it's hard to learn_

_And it's hard to love_

_When you're giving me such sweet nothing_

_Sweet nothing, sweet nothing_

_You're giving me such sweet nothing_

-**Sweet Nothing **by Calvin Harris, feat. Florence Welch

~Clove~

One step. Another step. Another step. 88 footstrikes, making my cadence 176. _Not good enough, it has to be 180. _Another step. More footstrikes. 172.

_He's been in love with you for over a year. _

I felt my blood boil. _Don't think about Cato, think about running. _I'd refused to acknowledge what happened on Halloween to anyone other than myself. The end result of that was a lot of studying and a _lot _of mileage. I had other things to obsess about. Like getting into Stanford, and being state champ.

I have other things to obsess about. I have other things to obsess about. I repeated that in my head like a mantra.

_What, couldn't you tell?_

Anger became rage. I pounded my feet onto the pavement, forgetting about my cadence and just _going. _I stopped my watch after five miles. Thirty minutes flat.

_Man, you're a jerk. Does that mean I'm secretly attracted to you?_

"Aghh!" I screamed out, doubling over as I stopped running.

I was an all AP student, with a 4.3 GPA and a 2340 SAT score. I knew a lot of things. I knew every prime number up to a thousand, ever major battle of the Civil War, and every Latin noun declension.

I didn't know how I felt about Cato Ludwig. At least not anymore.

XXX

**A/N: Somebody's fruuuuuuustrated ;D Tease for tomorrow is that there's more Marvel on the way. **

**If you've reviewed, I love you.**

**xx Nina**


	10. Chapter Ten: Marvel

_So I put my faith in something unknown_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_But I'm tired of hope with nothing to hold_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_And it's hard to learn_

_And it's hard to love_

_When you're giving me such sweet nothing_

_Sweet nothing, sweet nothing_

_You're giving me such sweet nothing_

-**Sweet Nothing **by Calvin Harris, feat. Florence Welch

~Marvel~

Clove and I would be friends whether we liked it or not—our dads went way back, and half the reason I lived in this town was because or Mr. Fuhrman. But in the weeks after Halloween, my friendship with her meant even more to me. We made our study hangouts go from one to three times a week, and spending that much time together helped us both take our minds off things. "Things" meaning Glimmer and Cato.

So when Clove invited me to go to her state Cross Country meet, I said yes. I'd just walked to my car when my phone rang.

Glimmer was on the other end, frantic.

"What're you doing?" she asked.

"Just going out. Why?"

"Marvel."

"What, Glimmer?" I snapped.

"Cato's going to Clove's meet . . ."

I could hear the wavering in her voice—the pain in it was almost tangible.

You know you really love someone when you're willing to set aside the pain they caused you if it meant helping them with theirs.

"Where are you?" I asked. I didn't bother to think of whether I'd regret this.

"Home."

"I'll be there in ten."

I hung up. My heart raced as I jotted a quick text to Clove, praying to God she'd check her phone before getting to the line.

_Can't make it, dealing with Glimmer. Really sorry. Brace yourself, Cato's going to be there._

I knew what the "right" decision was. Cato and Glimmer had been the source of so much drama—I should've gone to the meet and told him to leave, that he had to leave Clove alone because he was distracting her and hurting Glimmer.

It was so backwards. I knew it was. Glimmer was stringing me along, and Clove was my friend.

And for some reason, my loyalty still lay in the blonde-haired vixen.

XXX

**A/N: Well, there's a plot-twist for ya. The next few chapters will follow the day of the race.**

**Which character's perspective d'you guys like reading the most? Let me know in the reviews.**

**xx Nina**


	11. Chapter Eleven: Clove

_So I put my faith in something unknown_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_But I'm tired of hope with nothing to hold_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_And it's hard to learn_

_And it's hard to love_

_When you're giving me such sweet nothing_

_Sweet nothing, sweet nothing_

_You're giving me such sweet nothing_

-**Sweet Nothing **by Calvin Harris, feat. Florence Welch

~Clove~

_Damnit, Quaid, where are you?_

I rounded the corner of mile one. No sign of him. I hadn't seen him before the race either. Venables and Kohli were tailing me, and I wasn't sure how much longer I would have before my lead would go to one of them.

Mile two. I was passed by Venables. Kohli slipped back.

"Eleven fifty-eight!" the official called out. Those hills had killed me. Still no sign of Quaid.

And then I remembered. _You're an idiot, Clove. You told him to be waiting at half a mile to go._

I breathed a sigh of relief. Right. He was waiting at what I called the point of low-morale, because the last half-mile of a 5K always feels much, much longer than that.

I rounded the tennis courts. The woods were about a hundred meters ahead, where I'd told him to wait.

And then Kohli passed me. I'd forgotten all about Marvel, because all I could think was, _fuck, this race is over. _My legs weren't having it. They were beaten up, worn down by the miles I'd been logging.

"C'mon, Clove, pass her! Voorhees doesn't have that much of a lead, pass these two and it's still yours!"

I looked up. Cato Ludwig was screaming my name.

XXX

**A/N: Sorry sorry sorry this was a little late; I have an XC race of my own tomorrow so things've been hectic.**

**Longer, much more action-y chappie coming tomorrow xx Love you all**

**xx Nina**


	12. Chapter Twelve: Marvel

_So I put my faith in something unknown_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_But I'm tired of hope with nothing to hold_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_And it's hard to learn_

_And it's hard to love_

_When you're giving me such sweet nothing_

_Sweet nothing, sweet nothing_

_You're giving me such sweet nothing_

-**Sweet Nothing **by Calvin Harris, feat. Florence Welch

~Marvel~

"I'm done with this, I'm so done with this."

Glimmer kept blubbering that. Over and over again, that was what I heard for an hour solid.

"You should be," I said. I stroked her hair. I whispered in her ear. "You're better than him."

"No I'm not!" she screamed. I was holding her in my arms. "I'm worse!" She looked me in the eye. I held her. I let her cry. She calmed down after a little, finally getting a hold of herself and nestling her head into my shoulder.

"Look at me," she muttered. "I'm crying to you about Cato."

"Honestly, I prefer this to you getting drunk with me about Cato."

"Mhmm," she said.

We didn't say anything for a minute.

"Hey, Marvel?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry."

"Thank you."

"No, I mean it," she said, sniffling a little. "I'm done with him. For good."

"Well," I replied, "I'm glad."

She smiled. I hadn't realized until then that this was the first time I'd seen her without makeup, messy hair, and sweatpants. I still thought she was beautiful.

She swallowed her pride back. "Thank you for being here."

"You're welcome." My throat had gone dry.

"Seriously. You're like my rock, Quaid."

I didn't say anything to that. She kissed me. We sat there, kissing on the couch, soberly for the first time.

I was better than her. That's what Clove had told me, millions of times. "You're better than all of us, Marvel," she said. "You shouldn't have to put up with our antics."

She was right, obviously. Glimmer and Cato had their destructive, selfish tendencies, and Clove was bitter all around. But they all had something—magnetism. Because even though I _knew _Glimmer would be the ruin of me, I stuck around, since something about her just drew me in.

I was kidding myself if I thought Glimmer wouldn't run back to him. Her calling me her rock, her thanking me—words couldn't be emptier.

_You're wrong, Clove,_ I thought as I kissed her. _I'm not better than any of you. I'm the sucker that's stupid enough to stick around. _

XXX

**A/N: Leave it to Marvel to be such a mush.**

**Updates are once a day this week. I'm going to be much more diligent about that, promise.**

**Review if you want to see more :D**

**xx Nina**


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Cato

_So I put my faith in something unknown_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_But I'm tired of hope with nothing to hold_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_And it's hard to learn_

_And it's hard to love_

_When you're giving me such sweet nothing_

_Sweet nothing, sweet nothing_

_You're giving me such sweet nothing_

-**Sweet Nothing **by Calvin Harris, feat. Florence Welch

~Cato~

She came barreling down the field. Chasing Venables was a lost cause, the lead she had was impossible to run down. But when I saw Clove come out of the woods just behind Kohli, I freaked.

_"Pass her! Pass her, Clove, pass her!"_

She didn't look at me, but at the sound of her name she picked up speed, chasing Kohli down like a bat out of hell. I'm a linebacker with more than enough in me to scream for an entire game, and I didn't know I could cheer as loud as I did.

Before I knew it, I was sprinting alongside her. "Don't let her get you, c'mon, let's go, look at the clock!"

That was the first and only afternoon that I was outrun by a girl. She crossed the line, coming in second place. 18:18.

She doubled over. Without thinking, I went around the chute, walking in through the direction the finishers were walking out of. Officials held me back from going to her.

She had her hands on her knees. She was panting. And then she looked up, and locked her gaze with mine.

One of the officials handed her a medal. She snatched it from his hands, barely acknowledging it as she kept her gaze fixated on me. I couldn't tell what her expression was.

She slapped me across the face, and it stung like hell_._

And before I could say a word, she kissed me.

She jumped up and wrapped her legs around my waist, her breathing still heavy from the race, and all the while I tilted my head into hers, immersing myself in her and the taste of her lips. It was short lived, though. She pulled away abruptly at the sound of reporters.

"Clove! Clove Fuhrman!"

Oh, right. She'd just run the race of her life.

"Wait." I grabbed her arm. "I'm not done with you."

She shoved me off. _"Later," _she said, sharply.

XXX

**A/N: . . . writing this was hella fun :D**

**Check back tomorrow for the longest chappie yet. It's a good one.**

**xx Nina**


	14. Chapter Fourteen: Clove

_So I put my faith in something unknown_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_But I'm tired of hope with nothing to hold_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_And it's hard to learn_

_And it's hard to love_

_When you're giving me such sweet nothing_

_Sweet nothing, sweet nothing_

_You're giving me such sweet nothing_

-**Sweet Nothing **by Calvin Harris, feat. Florence Welch

~Clove~

I hated him. I hated how much I hated him.

I was so used to knowing things, and I hated how I didn't know the answer. I hated that I could be so _good_ at everything else, and that figuring Cato Ludwig out was the one thing I was bad at. _None _of it made any sense—how could I feel so strongly for someone that was such a royal asshole? How could Madison High school's golden boy, who could get _any _girl he wanted, fall for me?

I didn't want to figure things out. But I couldn't stay away, and I hated it.

"Drive me home," I snapped at him after finishing with the reporters.

"But aren't your parents—"

"They're in Cabo celebrating their anniversary, they're not here. I need a ride."

He wordlessly took me to his car (a blue BMW, which didn't surprise me). He started talking as we got in. "Listen, Clove—"

"Shut up," I said. I kissed him. After a moment's surprise, he gave into it, and we picked up where we let off. And then, just as he was starting to get riled up, I shoved him off.

"What the hell—"

"Why me?" I demanded. He stared at me blankly, and I groaned, impatient. "You can get any girl you want, why waste your time trying to seduce someone who doesn't care?"

He cracked a smile. "Well, obviously I wasn't wasting my time—"

"_Cato!" _I seethed.

"You know, you're really cute when you're angry—"

And that's when I starting hitting him. _Hard. _State ranked runner or not, there was a lot more to me than that, and it was probably a nasty surprise when our starting linebacker learned just how hard I could punch.

"Fucking God, cut it out!" he shouted, irritated. "What, you honestly expect me to explain why I'm in love with you?" That got me to stop. "I don't know! I just am."

"But it doesn't make any sense—"

"Wow, you really _are _an uptight piece of work," he snapped.

I fumed where I sat. "Excuse me?"

"I'm into you, you're obviously into me, so stop looking for answers and just go with it—"

"I can't, Cato!"

"Why not? Because I'm a popular line-backer?"

It came out of my mouth before I realized what I was saying. "No, because you'll run right back to Glimmer Rambin."

Silence. That was all I got from him.

I didn't say I was sorry, because I wasn't. It was the truth. Him stammering where he sat, not able to answer, confirmed it.

"Your silence is deafening, Cato."

"I don't even like Glimmer," he admitted.

"Well, she sure as hell likes you." I sighed, leaning into the seat and turning to him. "Why do you do it?"

"Hm?"

"Why be with someone you don't give a crap about?"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. I knew the answer before it even came out of his mouth.

"Honestly, a piece of ass is a piece of ass. And I'm a teenage guy." He looked over to me. "That's not what you wanted to hear, was it?"

I shook my head. "Nope." I buckled up, feeling numb. "Take me home."

"Clove—"

"I said _take me home."_

We drove in silence. I counted road signs to pass the time. _Two hundred and three, two hundred and four . . . _It really was a beautiful November day. Thanksgiving was that next week, all of my relatives would be in from out of town. I wondered if my parents would want to celebrate it with the Quaids like they did last year. I kept thinking about random topics, and in the space of that hour everything from last night's dinner to Footlocker Regionals crossed my mind.

Everything that didn't include a certain blonde-haired line-backer.

Cato pulled into the driveway. Once he stopped the car, I was already out the passenger door, slamming it behind me and wasting no time to get to the front step.

"Clove?"

I turned around.

"Listen, I'm—"

"Don't," I interrupted. "Don't say you're sorry. You told me the truth."

He furrowed his brow, and I don't think I've seen Cato Ludwig look so uneasy before. "I know. But I promise I'll try . . ."

"Cato."

His breath hitched.

"If you don't get your shit together, then I'm never talking to you again." His eyes widened, and I felt my pulse race. "I have way more important things to do than waste my time with an asshole."

I turned on my heel and went inside the house, not waiting to see his reaction. I froze. I let the words I'd just spoken reverberate in my head.

And, like that, I crumpled to the ground. I didn't cry, I didn't make a sound, I just felt my legs give out and I didn't do anything about it.

I gave myself exactly one minute. Sixty seconds. I let myself believe the most impossible of fantasies, and the words that could've been true, the things we could've said that would've made everything right if they were honest.

And then I picked myself up, went to my room, and cracked open my Chem textbook. I had a test to study for.

XXX

**A/N: Pfft. You ain't getting her that easy, Cato ;D**

**This chapter's delay was brought to you by the Ancient Near Eastern and Egyptian art and architecture. (I'm an art history nerd.)**

**Review if you liked it xx**

**~Nina**


	15. Chapter Fifteen: Marvel

_So I put my faith in something unknown_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_But I'm tired of hope with nothing to hold_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_And it's hard to learn_

_And it's hard to love_

_When you're giving me such sweet nothing_

_Sweet nothing, sweet nothing_

_You're giving me such sweet nothing_

-**Sweet Nothing **by Calvin Harris, feat. Florence Welch

~Marvel~

"Cato—"

"Marvel, leave me alone."

"C'mon, man—"

"I'm serious. _Back off."_

I was fighting an uphill battle by trying to talk to him, but I'd exhausted every other option. If I didn't know what was going on between him and Clove, then Glimmer sure as hell didn't either. And Clove had been deadpanning me every time I tried to get something out of her, leaving me with a "Sorry, not sorry, I'm overworked and don't have time to deal with you."

I'd grown to really hate my best friend in the last few weeks. But I needed to talk to him.

I grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around, forcing him to face me. I couldn't look him in the eye because of the helmet he was wearing. Damn football practice. But it was the only place he wouldn't be able to dodge me.

"What the hell—"

"I need to know what's going on." I didn't waste any breath getting right to the point.

"There's nothing to know."

"Seriously, Cato, Clove won't talk to me, and Glimmer's been moping around the entire time—"

"Okay," he interjected. "Glimmer sure as hell wasn't moping around last night. And since when do you care about Glimmer anyway?"

He might as well have lit a fuse. "What d'you mean, 'last night'?" I demanded.

And then I saw the smile on his face.

"_You slept with her?"_ I exploded. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Dude, calm down—"

"D'you have any idea how much hell you've put her through?" Fury overshadowed disbelief in a matter of seconds. "So you go to Clove's meet, you two have some romantic excursion, you both come back completely out of it and then you somehow have the presence of mind to do that?"

"What the hell is your problem?"

Words weren't big enough for the rage I was feeling, so I stared, speechless.

He rolled his eyes. He turned his back, walking away.

"She's cheating on you."

He stopped his tracks. He whipped back around to see me.

I hated him. I really hated him.

"Stop lying."

"We've been hooking up since the summer." I didn't specify what that meant, that it wasn't anything more than drunken kisses, but the statement alone had exactly the effect I'd wanted it to.

_"What?"_

"And you know why she does it?" I taunted, getting in his face. "It's because she doesn't know how else to deal with all of the _bullshit _you give her. Maybe she'll wake up one morning and realize what an asshole you really are."

And, like that, Cato went off like a bomb.

I was down on the turf in a matter of seconds, punches and jabs making contact with my face, ribs, _everywhere. _The pain was excruciating, but nothing could mask the sweetness of victory.

I'd gotten Cato mad. And the only reason he could get this mad was because he knew.

Nobody intervened. Nobody tried to break things up, because getting in between the two of us would've meant a punch in the face for them. It wasn't until I was bloody and bruised that Cato lifted me from the ground by my collar.

He basically spat in my face. "Get out of here."

He pushed me off. What came out of my mouth then was word vomit.

"I'm in love with her, Cato."

More punches. More bruises. But this time, I talked through it.

_"If you ever hurt her again, I swear, I'll kill you."_

XXX

**A/N: Every time I write a chapter with Marvel in it, I grow to love him even more.**

**Thanks for reading :D All of the feedback and support I've been getting for this fic means the world to me. Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, I'll be back tomorrow with Cato's perspective.**

**xx Nina**


	16. Chapter Sixteen: Cato

_So I put my faith in something unknown_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_But I'm tired of hope with nothing to hold_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_And it's hard to learn_

_And it's hard to love_

_When you're giving me such sweet nothing_

_Sweet nothing, sweet nothing_

_You're giving me such sweet nothing_

-**Sweet Nothing **by Calvin Harris, feat. Florence Welch

~Cato~

_If you don't get your shit together, then I'm never talking to you again._

Her words kept bouncing around in my head. That's what they'd been doing for weeks. I stared at my hands, still tinged with red. Hot water was running over me; it was a freezing December day.

_I'm never talking to you again._

I looked at my palms. Still red. I scrubbed with the soap until there wasn't a trace left of Marvel's blood.

_I'm in love with her, man._

More scrubbing. But this time it was to wash off the sweat; football had been _brutal _today. "One game left," was our mantra. One more. Then I had two weeks off before basketball started up. Then I had a brutal season of that. And then two weeks off before lacrosse. Another season of that.

The sports never ended. I used to love it.

_If you ever hurt her again, I swear, I'll kill you._

I'd beaten the absolute crap out of him. It was ages before someone broke it up, and by the time they did, I went from thinking _I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, _to _why am I even doing this?_ Because what Marvel said was right. I didn't care about Glimmer. Barely, maybe, but never enough to beat someone up about it.

_Maybe she'll wake up one morning and realize what an asshole you really are._

"Damnit," I said under my breath.

_I have way more important things to do than waste my time with an asshole._

I'd been thinking about Clove lately. A lot. And I felt like I was running around in circles, because I knew I wanted her and I knew what she wanted me to do, but . . .

But what? But I wasn't willing to get rid of one blonde slut?

Okay, so there was my answer. I'd get rid of Glimmer. I'd do that, get with Clove and keep my fingers crossed that that was enough to prove to her there was something decent about me, that I could cut the crap when I had to—

But, shit.

Marvel (stupid, _stupid _Marvel) fucked everything up. I couldn't delete Glimmer from my life. I'd be an even bigger asshole than before—and _that_ wouldn't accomplish everything.

I'd hurt Glimmer if I got rid of her. She'd get over it, but after a while. And Marvel would be the one to clean-up the mess that was left of her. And Marvel, much as he could be an idiot sometimes, was a decent person who didn't deserve that.

She'd ruin him. And it'd be all my fault.

So I weighed more options. I let more words bounce around in my head. I showered off the rest of the grime, and by the time I got out of the bathroom, I had Clove's number dialed up on my phone.

It was pretty obvious, what I had to do. All I needed to do was tell her about it.

And it'd have to be honest.

XXX

**A/N: Yeah, another cliffie. I can be mean like that.**

**I finished writing Sweet Nothing last night, so it looks like I have some free time. Lemme know what other Florence songs/pairings/genres you want me to write for :D**

**xx Nina**


	17. Chapter Seventeen: Clove

_So I put my faith in something unknown_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_But I'm tired of hope with nothing to hold_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_And it's hard to learn_

_And it's hard to love_

_When you're giving me such sweet nothing_

_Sweet nothing, sweet nothing_

_You're giving me such sweet nothing_

-**Sweet Nothing **by Calvin Harris, feat. Florence Welch

~Clove~

"Cato," I snapped, "stopped calling me."

"Well, _thanks _for picking up—"

"Seriously, six times is excessive." I scratched out one of my calc equations; it was all wrong. "Leave me alone, I don't want to talk to you."

"Please don't hang up."

"Why not?"

"Because I have something important to tell you—"

"And I told _you _not to talk to me until you got your shit together."

"That's what I'm trying to do!" he exclaimed. "Damnit, can I at least get a chance to explain myself?"

I paused, my thumb still hovering over the 'end call' button. I didn't say anything.

"Okay, good. Got your attention now."

"Just make it quick," I scratched out another equation. _Wrong, wrong, so wrong. _"I don't have time for this."

"Right." He cleared his throat. "Look, I've been thinking about what you said. A lot."

"Wow. I thought you said you had it all figured out," I taunted, sarcastically.

"Jesus, I'm getting to that," he snapped. I heard him sigh into his phone. "Thing is, I want to be with you. Really. And I'd do whatever it took to be with you."

"Oh, would you?" I grumbled.

"I mean that."

"Well, then why don't you man-up, forget Glimmer and _do it _already?"

"I would. But . . . I can't."

I spluttered, flabbergasted. "_Seriously?"_

"Let me just explain—"

"You're _that _horny that you wouldn't be able to drop one dirty, worthless little slut—"

"Well, problem is that she's in love with me," he snapped.

I dropped my pencil, taking my eyes of my calc textbook for the first time all afternoon. "So?" I taunted.

"So if I dropped her, then I'd hurt her."

I rolled my eyes. "Cato, stop trying to be righteous. You don't care about Glimmer's feelings."

"But I care about _Marvel's, _Clove." He paused. "And so do you."

Now that got me.

"I—what're you trying to say?"

"You care about him, don't you?"

"Well, yeah, but not in that way!"

"I know. But you couldn't watch him go through hell." I heard rustling on the other end. "And I couldn't either."

I twirled my pencil in between my fingers. The sounds trying to make their way out of my mouth were incoherent, and I had to choke back whatever was in my throat.

I had to ask. "Did he . . .?"

"Yeah. He told me everything."

"Oh."

My voice went from annoyed to distant in a matter of seconds. I ran a hand through my hair, twirling the ends and not finding any reason to speak.

"Clove," he started, his voice significantly gentler. "If I dump Glimmer, I'll get to be with you. And I want that." He cleared his throat. "But you were right. You have better things to do than waste your time with an asshole. Hurting Marvel to be with you would make me an even bigger one. I . . ." he struggled, stammering before he said. "I just, I couldn't—"

"I get it," I said.

"—I can't be with you. Not right now."

I nodded. I tried to ignore the numbness, the feeling that was making its way through my body. I kept my head down, and I stopped fiddling with my hair because there wasn't anything to be nervous about anymore.

Neither of us said anything for a minute.

"Well. What now."

"Now?" He paused. "Now I make it official with Glimmer."

"Cato."

"I'm doing it for Marvel," he said, firmly. "He . . . he can't love her, Clove. At least not now."

"You keep saying that," I said. "'Not now.'"

"Yeah. Eventually, she'll get over me, and he'll get over her. It's only a matter of time." He waited, and then added as an afterthought, "It's not like love lasts forever."

We didn't say anything for a minute.

"I'm not so sure about that," I whispered.

And that's when the tears started rolling down my face, when I let the numbness go and just _felt. _I'd never been much of a crier; I was used to just sucking things up. My parents not being around, every bad grade and running related injury—it was all noise to me. I was calloused—tough.

_Not today, apparently._

"I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't really, really care about you—"

"Save it," I said. I tried to keep my crying silent.

"I'm telling the truth—"

"I know." Thank god he couldn't see my face. "That's why I don't want to hear it."

I ignored things I didn't want to deal with. I'd been ignoring Cato for weeks.

The reality was crashing down on me.

"I'm sorry," he said. His voice sounded distant too.

I believed him. I really did. But even as upset as I was, a part of me was still bitter.

"Say it to my face, Cato," I said. I tried to wipe the tears away.

"I thought the phone was a better idea."

"Why?"

Another pause. This time, it was out of hesitation.

"Because I didn't think you'd want me to see you cry."

My heart skipped a beat. I checked myself. I hadn't been sniffling; there wasn't any way, any way for him to know—

And then I'd realized his voice was broken as he said it. I wasn't the only one with tears in their eyes.

I hung up. I stared at the wall. More silent crying.

Cato Ludwig is a lot of things. Arrogant, crude, and—most of the time—selfish.

And we understood each other as well as two people could.

XXX

**A/N: Those of you that've been screaming "CLATOOOOOO!" in the reviews, here are some links to help nurse your sorrow: **

** s/8367431/1/A-Kiss-With-a-Fist-is-Better-Than-None**

** s/8055693/1/A-Drug-for-Angels**

** s/8095435/1/Blessings**

**In all seriousness, those of you that want Cato and Clove to happen, there are still a few more chapters left in this fic. Don't panic just yet :D**

**I love you all. Hey look it's Christmastime.**

**xx Nina**


	18. Chapter Eighteen: Glimmer

_So I put my faith in something unknown_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_But I'm tired of hope with nothing to hold_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_And it's hard to learn_

_And it's hard to love_

_When you're giving me such sweet nothing_

_Sweet nothing, sweet nothing_

_You're giving me such sweet nothing_

-**Sweet Nothing **by Calvin Harris, feat. Florence Welch

~Glimmer~

"Save it, Cato."

"Glimmer, hold up, just give me a second to explain—"

I whirled around, boiling with anger. "Stop it! There's _nothing _to explain! You made an ass out of me, I know we hooked-up last weekend but I am _so _done with you—"

I went on. I was mad. I was really, _really _mad. I'd picked the wrong day to skip cheerleading practice. If I'd been there, Marvel wouldn't have bruises covering his face and neck, because I would've broken that fight up _so _fast—

"—I'm sorry."

I fumed even more, hearing those words come out of his mouth.

"If I got a dollar for every time you gave me a half-assed apology, Cato—"

"But I mean it this time!" As I rolled my eyes and turned on my heel, he reached out, grabbing my hands and pulling me back to him. "Please. Don't leave."

"Listen, Ludwig—"

"No, you listen." He gulped back whatever lump was in his throat. "I've put you through hell, and I'm really, really sorry. Give me a chance to try and make things right." I didn't say anything for a minute, mostly because the sincerity in his voice seemed so foreign. "Please. I'm done fucking things up. Just give me one more chance."

"I've given you plenty of second chances—"

"But I've never asked for one," he interjected.

Oh. Now I knew what he was getting at. I had to read between the lines, but it was there.

_I care about you._

"Why?" I demanded.

"Hmm?"

"Why do you suddenly care about me?"

He shrugged. "Well, why do you care about me?"

"Don't answer a question with a question—"

"But it's the same thing. How—" He stumbled, looking for the right words. "Well, how d'you explain why you care about someone?"

_Fair enough, _I thought. He was right, in a way, and I should know—I was only in love with the biggest jerk in school.

But the way he phrased it, and the look in his eyes when he said it—

"Glimmer, I don't ever want to hurt you again. Please just give me another chance."

He meant it. I knew he meant it. I could tell it from his expression that he was telling the truth. But something about the whole thing, something still didn't seem right.

I hesitated. He squeezed my hands, and looked me in the eyes. "I'll do it right this time, I promise. Please."

Maybe the entire thing was wrong. Maybe there was something more to all of this, something I wasn't getting.

But whatever it was, it didn't mask the fact that I was finally getting the truth from him.

Against my better judgment, I kissed him. For better or for worse, he kissed me back. And we stood there, kissing in the middle of a bustling hallway, ignoring all of the hoots and hollers our classmates were giving us. And even though it was sincere, there was something to it I couldn't exactly place. Whatever Cato was doing, it felt so definite . . . maybe even a little sad.

I was walking on a tightrope, all right. I was putting my faith into something crazy. But I was still putting my faith in it all the same, and I knew why.

I loved him. There was a chance he loved me back, and there was a chance it was all for nothing.

As long as I got to be with him, I'd take those chances.

XXX

**A/N: I think this chapter was proof enough, but I'll say it anyway: don't hate on Glimmer. The situation is pretty screwed up.**

**Thank you all so much for your kind feedback for the last chapter xx We'll see Cato's perspective tomorrow.**

**xx Nina**

**PS. Penname change whuddup.**


	19. Chapter Nineteen: Cato

_So I put my faith in something unknown_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_But I'm tired of hope with nothing to hold_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_And it's hard to learn_

_And it's hard to love_

_When you're giving me such sweet nothing_

_Sweet nothing, sweet nothing_

_You're giving me such sweet nothing_

-**Sweet Nothing **by Calvin Harris, feat. Florence Welch

~Cato~

Me and Marvel didn't talk for two weeks. I was walking a fine line with Glimmer. At the start he'd been holding his breath, waiting for me to fuck up, so he could dive in and mend her heartache. But time passed. A few days became a week, which in our world was starting to feel much, much longer than that.

The day we made things Facebook official was when he finally talked to me. How big of him.

"Are you and Glimmer . . .?"

"Yeah, dick."

"For real?"

If he wasn't my best friend, I would've laughed at him. He sounded pathetic.

"Why? Is somebody jealous?"

He rolled his eyes. "Douchebag."

He turned around to walk away. I called after him.

"You should be thanking me, Quaid. Now I've done nothing but make her happy." He stopped in his tracks. "Or is that not want you want?"

He turned around. "Of course I want her to be happy—"

"Well, then stop being a jealous mope."

"I'm not—"

"Yes, you are." I walked up to him, getting his face. "You haven't talked to me in weeks. Get over yourself, this isn't the fifth grade. You're not always going to get what you want."

His face went red. "Cato, I swear—"

"I'm not going to hurt her." I said it with all the conviction I could, and I could see Marvel shrink back as the words came out of my mouth. "What were you expecting to happen? For me and Clove to get together? For Glimmer to run back to you?"

"Well, given the fact that that would actually make sense—_yeah."_

"Marvel," I started. "I'm only going to say this once."

"You don't have to—"

"Glimmer is in love with _me," _I interrupted, "And she would be miserable with you. Fucking accept that and move on with your life already."

His face went bright red. Marvel's a guy, and like all guys, he didn't want to be seen upset.

So he ran out of the room. He slammed the door behind him, and left me alone.

This could be the end of our friendship, I didn't doubt that. He really loved her. It didn't even matter if he forgave me—we couldn't go back to before. Not after this.

I hoisted my bag over my shoulder, walking out of class and in the opposite direction of where Marvel had gone. Growing up with Marvel Quaid as a best friend was great. We had the same snarky, condescending sense of humor. We got our first football helmets together in fourth grade, and the only time I'd ever seen him cry—eighth grade—was after a serious concussion, when his strict parents wouldn't let him play anymore.

And then came high school. I guess we developed a "bromance," whatever, it's all such a blur. I remember taking my first shots with him and spending every summer at his shore house.

There was definitely something to our friendship—at least until I beefed up going into my sophomore year and gained Varsity status. Then, things changed.

Marvel and I used to joke about the stereotypical athletic asshole. I didn't think I'd ever become one.

Well, I could say this much about myself—I was doing something good. Because even though what I'd said now hurt, the alternative was worse. He'd get over this confrontation; having Glimmer string him along would only mean months of torture.

_I'm sorry you don't know the truth, Marvel. Sometimes lies hurt less._

XXX

**A/N: We're coming down the homestretch, fellas. This fic is nearing its end.**

**Hope you guys enjoyed this chappie, I figured we needed one last look at the bromance.**

**xx Nina**

**PS. 1 review from you = 1 hug courtesy of me.**


	20. Chapter Twenty: Marvel

_So I put my faith in something unknown_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_But I'm tired of hope with nothing to hold_

_I'm living on such sweet nothing_

_And it's hard to learn_

_And it's hard to love_

_When you're giving me such sweet nothing_

_Sweet nothing, sweet nothing_

_You're giving me such sweet nothing_

-**Sweet Nothing **by Calvin Harris, feat. Florence Welch

~Marvel~

I'm not going to pretend that I know why Cato had a sudden change of heart over Glimmer. I'm also not going to pretend like I don't care. Literally, it was all I thought about for weeks.

It was only natural that Clove and I would grow back together, and that she would be the one to snap me out of it.

"Focus on other things—you still have to get into college."

"Hahh!" I slammed my coffee on the counter. We were at Starbucks, sipping from coffee over our chem textbooks just days before Christmas. "Don't remind me."

"What, that only one of us can relax during senior year?"

_"Shut up." _I shoved her. She was being a pain in the ass. But she was a pain in the ass that made me work hard.

We turned back to our homework for another hour before she finally brought it up again. "Are you over it?"

"No—" I stopped short. "Well. I don't know anymore."

"Gee, that's an improvement," she drawled. "Why?"

I shrugged. "I dunno. I've just been thinking, the last few days . . ."

"What?"

"Well. I used to think that being in love with someone meant you couldn't stop thinking about them, and that you would give up anything to be with them . . ."

"Oh Jesus. Here we go."

"—but that's not it." I thought for a second. "Okay, maybe that stuff's important. But there has to be more to it than that. Y'know, there has to be substance."

She nodded. I could feel the onslaught of something sarcastic coming out of her mouth.

Instead, she got all philosophical on me. "Substance meaning you admire them." She got defensive when she saw the look on my face. "Surprising as it might be, I _actually _have a heart."

"Good. You should show it more often."

"_Shut up."_

"Y'know, fuck Cato and Glimmer, we should just date each other—"

"Oh, I your _dreams_, Marvel."

And for some reason, we both started laughing. We didn't stop for a while. Joking like that was taboo, but then again, it was funny. Given how things were going, we could use a little funny.

Whether she meant to or not, Clove made me feel better that day. Loving Glimmer was easier than it should've been—I used to think that I accepted her for who she was. I was really in love with her if I could accept the bad.

I knew what was under that pretty face of hers. And it wasn't anything worth admiring.

XXX

**A/N: One more chapter left of Sweet Nothing. Geezus.**

**Those of you holding out for Cato and Clove, I have a multitude of Clato fics on FF (**_**Blessings**_** and **_**A Kiss With a Fist is Better than None**_** are one-shots, and **_**A Drug for Angels**_** is multi-chap) so check those out if you need a fix.**

**I love you all. Thanks for the reviews xx**

**Nina**

**PS. Those of you that are HaymitchMaysilee shippers should check out my one-shot **_**Only if For a Night**_**. It could use some love.**


	21. Chapter Twenty-One: Clove

**A/N: Make sure you read the one-shot at the bottom, it's important.**

_You took my heart and you held it in your mouth  
And, with the word all my love came rushing out  
And, every whisper, it's the worst,  
Emptied out by a single word  
There is a hollow in me now…_

~Clove~

I would've spent Christmas break with Marvel, but shockingly enough, my parents wanted me to come on their exotic getaway. They wanted to celebrate my verbal commitment to Stanford, because in their book,_ that_ was something worth recognizing.

I had a track meet on the thirty-first, so I was home for New Years. Marvel and I rung in 2013 together, as Peeta (a friend of his from debate) invited him to a party at his place. It was weird, hanging out with decent people that night. The vibe was so different than Cato's. The only person there who had something rude to say to me was Peeta's girlfriend.

"What're you doing here?" Katniss asked.

"It's a party, and I'm Marvel's plus one."

"Well. Don't get too drunk, those extra calories might screw up your season," she said.

She was regurgitating _exactly _the same insult I'd thrown at her last year. Except mine had a nice little punctuation at the end of it, one that went, "Y'know, if you lost the beer belly, you could _actually _be fast."

Everdeen wasn't a friendly spirit to begin with, and after I said that, she especially had full reign to hate me.

Normally, I would've taunted back at her. Instead, I coolly said, "Good race today." She stared blankly as I walked away, and a smile stretched across my face.

I wasn't done with the bullshit of Glimmer and Cato. I knew that. I knew that this game Cato was playing at would only last so long—she'd get bored, and Marvel would find someone else. _You love someone when you admire them. _I don't think that applied to either Glimmer or Marvel.

And then there was me and Cato.

_I think you're amazing. You can really be a bitch sometimes, but I love how hard you work. I love how obsessive you are about your grades and your times. I love how you try to make your parents happy even when they don't think twice about you. I love how you never say die._

Cato never had to say any of these things to me. But I knew that was how he felt.

So Marvel and I counted down the New Year together. He kissed Finch Emerson as a gag, and we would both laugh about it later. As I watched everyone couple up and settle down for the night, I asked myself the million dollar question.

Do I love him?

Well, if being in love with someone meant you admired them, then it was definitely up in the air. Cato Ludwig was a lot of things, and a lot of _bad _things at that. He was probably kissing Glimmer Rambin right now, and even though his intentions were good, that didn't mask the fact that he had the girl fooled. She was getting what she wanted, yeah. But it wasn't for the reasons she wanted.

But if it wasn't for Glimmer, my opinion of Cato never would've changed. There wouldn't be anything even remotely redeemable about him.

I wouldn't let myself love an asshole.

I walked outside, and sat down on the Mellarks' front lawn. I clutched a glass of champagne in one hand, and my cellphone in the other. Should I call him? Nahh, now wasn't the time. That'd come eventually.

We had unfinished business, alright. Me and Ludwig. We had baggage, and a story, and I could tell it was going to be one of those things that we wouldn't be able to stop thinking about if we tried.

This wasn't the end of our story. Not even close.

XXX

If I could go back, I'd put my faith into the unknown. I'd put it in Cato. I'd take that risk.

I'd be tiresome, alright. Hope was hard to hold on to. But I'd do it—for better or for worse.

Glimmer and Marvel would learn one day. They'd learn that their 'love,' if you could even call it that much, was all for nothing.

But it's not like I'm one to judge.

Maybe I'm wrong.

Maybe I'm off.

Maybe my "love" wasn't anything more than fascination. Maybe I didn't admire him, and maybe I didn't feel anything for the blonde-haired linebacker.

I'd always look back at that fall. And for the rest of Junior year, I'd wonder if anything I'd felt was real. That scared me. _That _freaked me out.

The only thing that freaked me out more was the idea that it was all for nothing. I couldn't be that heartless.

Oh, we weren't finished; our story would come to an end eventually.

It just couldn't end like this. Not when we were all still giving each other sweet nothings.

XXX

_So I put my faith in something unknown  
I'm living on such sweet nothing  
But I'm tired of hope with nothing to hold  
I'm living on such sweet nothing  
And it's hard to learn  
And it's hard to love  
When you're giving me such sweet nothing  
Sweet nothing, sweet nothing  
You're giving me such sweet nothing_

-**Sweet Nothing **by Calvin Harris, feat. Florence Welch

XXX

**A/N: …soooo check back in a week and a half for the sequel! (You guys didn't seriously think I'd let it end this way, did you? :P)**

**This fic is completely a one-shot gone awry, because without much warning, the plotline mutated into this **_**thing **_**that I couldn't shake. This is the natural end of **_**Sweet Nothing—**_**this is the end of the Career pack's story as lying, manipulating teenagers. The tone of the sequel is going to be really different, and you'll see the truth come to the surface.**

**I couldn't be happier with the feedback and reviews I've been getting for this plot-bunny; from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Let me know which other pairings/Florence inspired one-shots you'd like to see me write in the future.**

**The story continues on December 14****th****—the title? **_**Shake it Out.**_

**(Also Flo inspired. I'm just that unpredictable.)**

**Love you all.**

**xx Nina**


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